Mixed Up Beads

I don't always mix up my beads, but sometimes I just can't resist. Sometimes I make random mixes just to see what will happen, adding more and more beads until the mix reaches just the right tone. Then I have to hope that I have enough in the mix because recreating a particular mix could be nearly impossible. I did begin a sort of measuring technique, using a tiny little scoop to add beads to the mix and keeping track of which beads and how many scoops were added.

Sadly, the obsessive-compulsive part of me has, on occasion, not really liked the mix and has RESORTED the beads into their respective containers. Pathetic, I know. But I must have order.

Two of my most recent creations are made with bead mixes, and the good news is that I didn't have to resort any of these beads.

The first one is a really really really long bead crochet lariat. This was a special request from a wonderful repeat customer of mine, and she asked for a 66" long lariat. I got a little carried away and wound up making it 76" long (I think I was engrossed in an episode of House or Monk and just lost track of time and beads). She didn't mind, though, so this piece is on its way south. With something this long, she'll have all kinds of possibilities when it comes to wearing it (it's plenty long enough to be used as a belt!).


Now I've decided to offer these bead crochet lariats in custom lengths, just in case not everyone wants a 76" rope! I have so many beads on hand (thanks to the annual Bead and Button Show in Milwaukee every summer) that I can do just about any color anyone would want.

The other piece I made from a bead mix is this Tweed cuff.

I hadn't planned to make a tweed cuff. In fact, I had another design printed and ready to go, but then I came across this button while I was rummaging through my button box (and you won't be surprised to learn that there are thousands of buttons in there...).

It's such a great button, nice and heavyweight and with a great look to it. Doesn't it look like wrinkled cloth?

Anyway, I decided it needed a bead mix so it could kind of remain the center of attention, so I used matte black, shiny black, silver lined light gold (which just look like shiny silver), and metallic matte dark nickel (which looks kind of like khaki). Luckily I employed my little scoop to pile the beads onto my mat because I didn't get quite enough of them the first time and had to mix more. Whew.

I really like the way this looks now that it's finished. It really does look like tweed, and the contrast of the shiny beads against the matte ones is really interesting. And that button is just too cool!


I just hopped over to my Etsy shop to grab the links for those two pieces and noticed a momentous number there! I have a thing for THREEs, and I just noticed that my feedback number is at 3333. Cool. (And yes, I pay attention to numbers on the odometer, dates, and all sorts of other numbery things. I can't help it. It's like a disease.)


Yay for threes!!
:-)